The red velvet filling is spiked with cocoa, topped with cream cheese frosting, and baked in a chocolate cookie crumb crust 

Ingredients

17 chocolate cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar

FILLING:
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
2 teaspoons Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring

FROSTING:
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract

Directions

Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.

In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter and sugar. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, buttermilk, cocoa and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in food coloring. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.

Bake at 325° for 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan.

For frosting, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Frost top of cheesecake. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 16 servings.

Serves: 16 Prep: 30 min. Bake: 1 hour + chilling

Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 463 calories, 29 g fat (17 g saturated fat), 131 mg cholesterol, 276 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 7 g protein.

Source: rdasia.com

A healthy and refreshing recipe for your day 

Yield: 6 servings

What You Need
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
8 ears corn-on-the-cob (Use thawed, frozen corn instead of fresh corn.)
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small zucchini, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 
What to Do 1. Combine vinegar, olive oil, mayonnaise, garlic and Italian seasoning in small bowl with wire whisk. Season, if desired, with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Bring large saucepot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add corn and cook 3 minutes; drain and cool. Remove kernels (about 4 cups) from cob with knife. Combine cooled corn, onion and 1/4 cup vinaigrette in medium bowl. Gently fold in tomatoes, zucchini and basil. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature.

Source: rdasia.com

Use these rolled-up snacks as afternoon or evening finger food for yourself and friends. 

Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 10 min. + chilling
Number of Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS

1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into flat panels (about 4, depending on shape of pepper) 
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon plain fat-free yogurt 
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil 
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 
2 teaspoons water 
Pinch salt 
1 spinach-flavored flour tortilla (8 inches; salad plate size) 
1 cup mixed salad greens

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat broiler. Broil pepper pieces, skin side up, 4 inches from heat, until charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

2. Combine chickpeas, yogurt, sesame oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, water, and salt in food processor and puree until smooth.

3. Spread mixture evenly over one side of the tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border all around. Top with salad greens and roasted peppers. Roll up jelly-roll fashion.

4. Wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, no more than 4 hours. The roll will get softer and easier to slice as it sits in the refrigerator before serving. The longer it's in, the softer it gets. But too long isn't good. Unwrap and slice crosswise into 8 pieces (1 inch wide) to serve.

Nutrition Per Serving: Per serving (1 piece): Calories 45, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0 g, cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 75 mg, carbohydrates 8.5 g, fiber 1.5 g, protein 1.5 g

Tips: Cook's Clue These pinwheels make an impressive party food, and they're ideal for busy cooks because they're easy to assemble and best if made ahead (slice the rolls just before serving). They're also perfectly portable if the party's not at your house. You can multiply the recipe to serve a big group.

Source: rdasia.com

Delight your guests with a special side that's perfect for the holiday season 

Ingredients

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 pound large fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
4 tablespoons butter, divided
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 cup milk
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon saltDash pepper

How to make it

1. Place spinach in a greased 8-in. baking dish; set aside.

2. Remove stems from mushrooms. Set caps aside; chop stems.

3. Sauté chopped mushrooms and onion in 2 tablespoons butter; spoon over spinach.

4. Sprinkle with bacon.

5. Top with mushroom caps.

6. Melt remaining butter; brush over caps.

7. In a large saucepan, combine the milk, cheese, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until cheese is melted; pour over the top.

8. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Serves 6.

Source: rdasia.com

Thickening soup with potato gives a velvety smooth result without adding the fat used in other traditional methods. Served either hot or chilled, this soup is ideal as a dinner-party starter all through the year. 

• 1 litre (2 pints) vegetable stock, preferably home-made
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) carrots, finely diced
• 100 g (4 oz) potato, peeled and finely diced
• 100 g (4 oz) leeks, chopped
• 2 strips of pared orange zest
• 4 tbsp orange juice, or to taste
• salt and pepper

To garnish

4 tbsp single cream; 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1 strip of pared orange zest, cut into fine shredsPreparation time: 15-20 minutes, plus cooling and 4 hours chilling if served cold. Cooking time: about 25 minutes

1 Pour the stock into a large saucepan and add the carrots, potato, leeks and orange zest. Bring to the boil over a high heat, skimming the surface as necessary, then reduce the heat to moderate and leave the soup to bubble for about 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are very tender.

2 Remove and discard the strips of orange zest. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth.

3 If serving the soup hot, return it to the rinsed-out saucepan. Reheat and add the orange juice, then adjust the seasoning. Ladle the soup into bowls and add a spoonful of cream to each, drizzling it over the surface. Sprinkle with the parsley and shredded orange zest and serve at once.

4 To serve the soup chilled, leave to cool, then chill for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, stir in the orange juice, then adjust the seasoning. Garnish and serve as for the hot soup.

Plus points

• Making soup is an excellent way of preserving all the water-soluble vitamins - the B group and vitamin C - which are otherwise lost when the cooking water from vegetables is discarded.
• This low-fat soup is made with leeks instead of the usual onion. Leeks are a useful source of several water-soluble vitamins, including C and folate.

Each serving provides

kcal 100, protein 2 g, fat 4 g (of which saturated fat 2 g), carbohydrate 16 g (of which sugars 12 g), fibre 4 g

Some more ideas

• To make a filling broccoli soup, replace the carrots with 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) broccoli florets. Sprinkle each serving with a little grated nutmeg and top with about 1 tbsp crumbled blue cheese, such as Stilton.
• Make a green bean soup using this basic recipe. Replace the carrots with 450 g (1 lb) green beans, trimmed and chopped. Omit the orange zest and add 30 g (1 oz) finely chopped fennel. Depending on the choice of beans, this soup may need sieving to remove fibres after pureeing the mixture - this is particularly important if using runner beans. Serve sprinkled with finely chopped fresh fennel leaves (from the bulb) or dill.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, cubed
4 squares (1 ounce each) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 ounces) double dark chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Filling
4 squares (1 ounce each) white baking chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup refrigerated Irish creme nondairy creamer
1 cup heavy whipping cream
15 mint Andes candies, chopped

Icing
12 squares (1 ounce each) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
Additional mint Andes candies, halved, optional

How to make it (75 minutes)

1. In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter and bittersweet chocolate; cool slightly. In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate mixture. Gradually add flour until blended. Stir in chips and walnuts. Spread into a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.

2. In a small saucepan, combine white chocolate and creamer. Cook and stir over low heat until smooth; remove from the heat. Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes or until chilled. In a mixing bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form; fold into white chocolate mixture. Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Fold in chopped candies. Spread over brownies. Cover and refrigerate.

3. In a small saucepan, combine bittersweet chocolate and cream. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth; remove from the heat. Stir in butter until melted. Cool to room temperature. Carefully spread over filling. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until icing is set. Cut into bars. Garnish with additional candies if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

This is a novel way of serving the popular Chinese dish of stir-fried sweet and sour chicken. Here courgettes and bean sprouts are added, and the mixture is folded up in lacy pancakes 

Ingredients
Serves: 4

Pancake batter
115 g (4 oz) plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
200 ml (7 fl oz) semi-skimmed milk

Chicken filling
450 g (1 lb) skinless boneless chicken breasts (fillets)
2 tbsp tomato pure
3 tbsp sunflower oil
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp malt vinegar
1 tbsp demerara sugar
2 tsp clear honey
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 courgette, cut into 5 cm (2 in) matchsticks
225 g (8 oz) bean sprouts
1 tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp rich soy sauce, plus more to serve
salt and pepper
spring onions to garnish

Preparation method
Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 40 mins

1. To make the pancakes, sift the flour into a bowl and season with a little salt and pepper. Make a well in the centre. Mix the eggs, milk and 90 ml (3 fl oz) water together and pour into the well, then whisk in the flour to form a smooth batter. Cover and leave to stand while you prepare the filling.

2. Cut the chicken into long thin strips. Mix together the tomato pure, 1 tbsp of the oil, the lemon zest and juice, vinegar, sugar and honey in a bowl. Add the chicken to this sweet and sour sauce, and toss to coat the strips.

3. Heat a wok or large frying pan and add 1 tbsp of the remaining oil. Add the onion and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the courgette and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Using a draining spoon, remove the vegetables from the wok and set aside.

4. Reheat the wok, then add the chicken mixture and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes or until cooked. Return the vegetables to the wok. Toss together, then remove from the heat and set aside.

5. Heat a 20 cm (8 in) pancake pan, preferably non-stick or well seasoned. Rub a little of the remaining oil over the surface using a crumpled piece of kitchen paper. Pour in a little batter and tilt the pan so that the batter spreads evenly over the surface; tip any excess batter back into the bowl. Cook the pancake over a moderately high heat for 2 minutes, then loosen the edges and flip it over. Cook the second side for about 30 seconds. Slide the pancake onto a plate and cover with a square of greaseproof paper. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 8 pancakes in all, stacking them up, interleaved with greaseproof paper, as they are made. Keep warm over a pan of simmering water, covered with foil.

6. Reheat the filling. Add the bean sprouts, sesame seeds and soy sauce, and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until everything is hot. Fill the pancakes, fold into quarters and garnish with spring onions. Serve with extra soy sauce.

This delectable version of the popular Italian dessert includes the traditional sponge cakes soaked in coffee and liqueur for the base 

Instead of layering the ladyfingers with whipped high-fat mascarpone cheese, a light and creamy mixture of sweetened ricotta cheese and yogurt is used. A sprinkling of grated dark chocolate is the finishing touch.

Ingredients

8 ladyfingers, halved
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur or brandy
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 square (1 ounce) semi-sweet dark chocolate, grated

How to make it  (20 minutes, plus chilling)

1. Break each of the ladyfingers into 3 pieces, then divide evenly among four 8-ounce glass tumblers or dessert glasses.

2. Place the coffee in a glass measuring cup and add the boiling water. Add the liqueur or brandy and 1 teaspoon sugar, and stir to dissolve. Pour evenly over the ladyfingers. Leave to soak while you prepare the topping.

3. Beat the ricotta with the yogurt, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Pile on top of the soaked ladyfingers.

4. Sprinkle the top of each dessert with grated chocolate. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes (but no more than 3 to 4 hours) before serving.

Some More Ideas

* Low-fat vanilla yogurt can be substituted for the plain yogurt to add a bit more flavor.

* Instead of grated chocolate, decorate the tops of the desserts by dusting each with 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder.

Plus Points

* Ricotta cheese is much lower in fat and calories than the creamy mascarpone that is traditionally used for tiramisu. Adding yogurt to the ricotta provides creaminess and helps to decrease the fat content even further.

* Dark chocolate is a good source of copper, a mineral that helps the body to absorb iron. As dark chocolate is also a source of iron, there is a double nutritional benefit to including it in this dessert.

Ingredients

5 cups of flour 
2 table spoons of ground ginger
1 1/2 tea spoons of baking soda
1 tea spoon of ground cloves
1/2 tea spoon of salt
1 cup of granulated sugar 
1 cup of shortening
1 egg
1 cup of molasses 
2 table spoons of vinegar
Frosting
6 table spoons of butter 
1 tea spoon of vanilla
whipping cream 

Any little birthday girl would love this magical princess doll cake, complete with a real doll she can play with later. Baker and author Liv Hansen for Betty Crocker Kitchens shows you how to shape and frost this cake for a birthday your daughter will always remember.